The Best Disney Movies To Watch If You Liked Encanto

Few things in life are as synonymous as Disney and animation. Walt Disney Animation Studios have been making animated features since 1937, when Walt Disney changed the world with "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." The magic continues with their 60th film: "Encanto," directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard (the pair previously directed "Zootopia"), co-directed and written by Charise Castro Smith, is a visually stunning and deeply charming love letter to Colombian culture.

The film tells the story of Mirabel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz), a member of a family whose members each have a special "gift" — whether it's shapeshifting, controlling the weather, super-strength, or incredible hearing. Mirabel, however, never received a gift and is something of the outcast of the family. When the Madrigals' magic begins to mysteriously diminish, it threatens the very balance of the family — and the entire community they protect. This sends Mirabel on a mission to uncover the secrets of the magic in an effort to save the Madrigal clan and finally discover how she fits into this crazy family.

"Encanto" is a delight to watch — anchored by a terrific performance from Beatriz as Mirabel, it's one of Disney's best-looking films, full of great charm and humor as well as fantastic songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. As the film also recalls a number of Disney classics, here are our picks for the best Disney movies to watch if you like "Encanto."

Warning: Spoilers for "Encanto" ahead!

Lin-Manuel Mirada exploded into the stratosphere with the Broadway musical "Hamilton," which earned a slew of awards and is beloved by fans all over the world. Disney was quick to capitalize on his success: Miranda was hired to write the songs for "Encanto," where his unique blend of traditional ballads and show tunes with hip-hop gives the songs in the film an exciting, fresh feel. Before working on "Encanto," however, he was first brought in by the House of Mouse to compose songs for "Moana."

The film, directed by Disney stalwarts Ron Clements and John Musker (who gave us "The Great Mouse Detective," "The Little Mermaid," and "The Princess and the Frog," among others), brings viewers to the Polynesian island of Motunui. Moana (Auli'i Cravalho), the daughter of the island chief, is happy with her life but yearns for more. When the island begins to struggle as their once-plentiful resources diminish, Moana bravely sets off to restore the heart of Te Fiti in an effort to save her family and her people. The film is a sight to behold and a whole lot of fun, thanks especially to a brilliant suite of songs that includes the Oscar-nominated "How Far I'll Go," "Shiny," and the fabulous "You're Welcome."

In addition to songwriter Miranda, "Encanto" and "Moana" share another striking similarity. They're both films about a young woman setting off to fix a specific problem — faltering magic in "Encanto," and dwindling resources in "Moana."

Another wonderful film about finding your place in the world and discovering your true self, "Tangled" is also one of the most expensive movies ever made. Disney's retelling of the Rapunzel fairytale is full of bold visuals, great characters, great jokes, and fantastic characters. At the start of the film, Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) is approaching her 18th birthday and still stuck in her tower, the only world she's ever known. Every year, distant lights appear on her birthday. When she asks her Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) for permission to go see the lights and finally leave the tower, she refuses (in brilliant song and dance fashion, of course).

After the dashing Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) appears in the tower, Rapunzel strikes a deal — she'll tell Rider where's she's hidden his prized possession if he takes her to see the lights. What unfolds after this exchange is a glorious adventure that culminates in one of Disney's great romances, all while challenging your preconceived notions of frying pans. "Tangled" features plenty of the tongue-in-cheek humor seen in "Encanto," and its overarching themes of finding yourself and family share striking similarities. For fans of "Encanto," the charming and endlessly re-watchable "Tangled" is a great choice.

Following in the footsteps of the original "Frozen," Disney's "Frozen II" was released six years later in 2019, and managed to accomplish the seemingly impossible task of outperforming the original. Raking in a nearly unfathomable $1.42 billion at the box office, the film ranks high on the list of the highest-grossing movies of all time. The creators of the original went bold in their second outing, attempting to create a darker, more adult, and more complicated story — and "Frozen II" largely succeeds.

In "Frozen II," a key moment toward the end of the film causes Anna and Elsa to realize the shocking truth that their parents may not have been as noble and wonderful as they once seemed — not to mention their grandfather and, in fact, the rest of their family lineage. A very similar plot thread occurs in "Encanto," as Mirabel realizes that the family's issues stem not from the mysterious Bruno, but instead from the pressure put on their family by Abuela Alma (María Cecilia Botero). Though there are various thematic elements in both "Frozen" films that are echoed in "Encanto," the plot point of reckoning with your family not being it's all cracked up to be serves as a clear link.

Boasting some of the most beautiful animation ever seen as well as charming anthropomorphic animals, "Bambi" is also one of Disney's darkest, most devastating films. Using the extraordinary talents of artist Tyrus Wong, it makes no attempt to soften the concept of death for children, which broke serious ground in 1942. Despite this heartbreak, at its core, "Bambi" is a film about the testament of carrying on through great difficulty, believing in yourself, and, above all, how important it is to preserve nature and the environment.

Just as "Encanto" places a great deal of importance on the Madrigal family's value to their community, "Bambi" is about how essential it is to work together with your friends and neighbors. This is especially evident in the "Little April Shower" sequence, as all the animals work to find shelter from the rain, and when a fire breaks out in the forest, as we see the animal kingdom come together to stay alive and find refuge from the flames. "Bambi" is not only an exquisite portrait of nature, but a vital message of the importance of environmental preservation. It's also must-see cinema.

"Hercules," the 1997 film directed by the duo Musker and Clements (who also directed "Tangled"), actually gets an explicit shout-out in "Encanto." It comes during the standout musical number "Surface Pressure," performed by Mirabel's sister Luisa (Jessica Darrow), who sings "Under the surface, was Hercules ever like "Yo, I don't wanna fight Cerberus"?" The line links the films together, but there are more similarities that "Encanto" shares with "Hercules."

Just like Luisa in "Encanto," Hercules (Tate Donovan) is also trying to navigate life as someone with extraordinary strength, and all the attention and notoriety that entails. The two of them also share the same difficulties with losing their power and must learn how to exist without their power before eventually having it returned to them.

"Hercules" is super entertaining in its own right, and is loaded with pop culture references that are a joy to watch. The film also has a tremendous group of songs, thanks to composer Alan Menken and lyricist David Zippel. The highlight is "I Won't Say," a ballad from Megara (Susan Egan) that provides a refreshing look at the love ballads so typical in Disney.

During World War II, Disney really struggled to stay afloat with a reduced staff, but "Cinderella" was a huge hit, earning more than enough to keep the studio going through the 1950s.

"Cinderella" is the classic tale of the titular princess and her difficult life before meeting the one and only Prince Charming (William Edward Phipps). Cinderella (an ethereal performance from Ilene Woods) lives with her wicked stepmother Lady Tremaine (Eleanor Audley) and her wicked stepsisters, who force Cinderella to work as a laborer in the house, hardly ever allowed to leave the walls of their estate. This is also one of the most unique aspects of "Encanto," brought to life with the fact that we rarely ever leave the Madrigal family home.

With the exception of the life-changing ball, the film takes place entirely on the grounds of Cinderella's home. Cinderella also follows a trajectory similar to Mirabel, as both of them are looking for answers about their identity (thankfully, they both find what they're looking for). While Mirabel comes to terms with her family, however, Cinderella finds salvation outside her abusive home.